I might be a new poster, but I'm far from being a beginner in the battling sense. I'm more of a lurker, but I know a lot about competitive battling from my past experiences with this site and others. I tend to hate using choice items, unless they are absolutly nessicary, and I noticed that Staraptor learned the move Agility. While I started using this set quite a while ago, I think that it still can be used to a great effect in the current 4th gen OU metagame, being able to eliminate a variety of offensive threats, and denting walls. While Scarf Staraptor can be used as a Revenge Killer, it lacks the power that life orb provides, plus it is locked into a move. Life Orb Staraptor has good power, but it lacks the nessicary speed to warrent a space on a team. So what happens if you apply the same basic theory from both sets and put them into a single set?
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/staraptor
[SET]
Name: Agiliraptor
Move 1: Agility
Move 2: Brave Bird
Move 3: Close Combat
Move 4: Return/Roost/Pursuit/
Item: Life Orb/Leftovers
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe.
[SET COMMENTS]
- You can force out your opponent with Intimidate, then use Agility on the switch
- Roost is a must if you want to run both Brave Bird and Life Orb
- Muscle Band can be used in place of life orb, since this is a pure physical set
- U-Turn can be used if you are forced to switch, damage, then switch in a counter
- Outspeeds Scarfed Base 100's after an Agility
- Can also outspeed Scarfed Starmie
- Return is good, reliable move for Neutral damage if you wish to use it.
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- Can dent a lot of Pokemon with neutral Brave Bird
- Cannot deal with Pokemon carrying Ice Shard, naturally
- Basically a scarf set, without the scarf, and some move modifications
- Roost should be used if you plan on running Life Orb. Return goes with the Leftovers. Pursuit is viable on either item choice.
- Set works best as a late-game cleanup sweeper, to eliminate weakened walls, to nab a kill.
[TEAM OPTIONS]
- Heatran is great for luring in Earthquakes to allow Staraptor to switch in, and deal with Scizor, who can wreck havoc on this set
- Magnezone can also fit that slot, attracting Earthquakes, and eliminating Scizor with HP Fire, in fact being ideal for eliminating scizor
- Rapid Spin support is a must to eliminate Stealth Rock. Starmie makes a fine partner, with good special coverage and speed, with respectable bulk.
- Starmie can also take Fighting priority from Infernape that could otherwise severly dent Staraptor
- Entry hazards are a great boon to this set, helping to prolong Staraptor's longevity simply in that it can lower the recoil from Brave Bird on OHKOs, and sometimes even remove the need for Brave Bird on some Pokemon. Forretress and Roserade are fine Pokemon to lay down hazards, Forrtress being able to set up all three. Forrtress is the prefered option here, because of its resistance to ice, which causes problems for Staraptor.
- A good spin blocker is also reccomended for this, if you want to run Hazards alongside Staraptor, which is reccomended. Rotom-C is a great option, being able to OHKO Swampert, which generally threatens the other Rotom forms
[COUNTERS]
- Rotom can easily counter this, resisting Staraptor's main STAB and being immune to its other.
- Gyarados can switch in and activate its Intimidate, forcing a switch
- Weavile can KO with Ice Shard
- Mamoswine can also Ice Shard to do a large amount of damage
- Scizor can take a hit and SD or simply Bullet Punch to KO
[NOTES]
- Agility Staraptor can be an incredible offensive threat, it requires a ton of good team support to truly shine.
[CALCULATIONS]
Some calcs I ran. Using adamant nature on these with Life Orb.
- Close Combat vs Max HP/Max Def Bold Blissey (714/130): 640-754
~ Can OHKO Blissey if it's running max HP and Def, ableit a low chance. I never see max HP Blisseys though.
- Close Combat vs Scarf Jirachi (342/236): 176-208
~ He can 2HKO Scarf Jirachi, which is pretty nice.
- Close Combat vs Wish/Calm Mind Jirachi (404/292): 143-169
~ He can still 2HKO Jirachi, even with investment into its defenses.
- Close Combat vs Tank Bronzong (252/80) 42.9% - 50.6%
~ A nice change of 2HKOing, if you have SR up, higher chance, but not guarenteed
- Return vs OU Tank Weezing (252/252): 43.1% - 50.6%
~ Pretty impressive, seeing as Weezing is an incredibly defensive Pokemon. Stealth Rock guarentees the 2HKO
- Return Vs Life Orb Starmie (which could pose a serious threat) (0/0): 97.7% - 115.6%
~ A nice clean OHKO, guarenteed with any form of damaging entry hazard.
-Return vs Physical Attacker Flygon (0/0): 90% - 106%
~Again, a potential OHKO. Stealth Rock will help your chances of getting the kill.
-Return vs standard Gliscor (252/4): 52.5% - 61.9%
~ Not even Gliscor can do very well against this. A guarenteed 2HKO, with or without Stealth Rock
-Return vs Tank Swampert (240/216): 44.4% - 52.6%
~Can 2HKO. With Spikes, you are guarenteed the 2HKO. Stealth Rock is less effective, but should still net the 2HKO.
-Return vs Bulky DD Gyarados (156/96): 43.8% - 51.9%
~Even if Staraptor gets to -1 attack from Gyarados's Intimidate, it can still tear into Gyarados with Return. If you have Stealth Rock up, you are guarenteed a 2HKO with Return.
-Brave Bird vs Bulky DD Gyarados (156/96): 51.4% - 60.8%
~Not worth trying this over Return, the recoil is a dangerous thing to deal with, and it's not worth it, since it will never OHKO, even with Stealth Rock.
More to come.
More to come
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/staraptor
[SET]
Name: Agiliraptor
Move 1: Agility
Move 2: Brave Bird
Move 3: Close Combat
Move 4: Return/Roost/Pursuit/
Item: Life Orb/Leftovers
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe.
[SET COMMENTS]
- You can force out your opponent with Intimidate, then use Agility on the switch
- Roost is a must if you want to run both Brave Bird and Life Orb
- Muscle Band can be used in place of life orb, since this is a pure physical set
- U-Turn can be used if you are forced to switch, damage, then switch in a counter
- Outspeeds Scarfed Base 100's after an Agility
- Can also outspeed Scarfed Starmie
- Return is good, reliable move for Neutral damage if you wish to use it.
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- Can dent a lot of Pokemon with neutral Brave Bird
- Cannot deal with Pokemon carrying Ice Shard, naturally
- Basically a scarf set, without the scarf, and some move modifications
- Roost should be used if you plan on running Life Orb. Return goes with the Leftovers. Pursuit is viable on either item choice.
- Set works best as a late-game cleanup sweeper, to eliminate weakened walls, to nab a kill.
[TEAM OPTIONS]
- Heatran is great for luring in Earthquakes to allow Staraptor to switch in, and deal with Scizor, who can wreck havoc on this set
- Magnezone can also fit that slot, attracting Earthquakes, and eliminating Scizor with HP Fire, in fact being ideal for eliminating scizor
- Rapid Spin support is a must to eliminate Stealth Rock. Starmie makes a fine partner, with good special coverage and speed, with respectable bulk.
- Starmie can also take Fighting priority from Infernape that could otherwise severly dent Staraptor
- Entry hazards are a great boon to this set, helping to prolong Staraptor's longevity simply in that it can lower the recoil from Brave Bird on OHKOs, and sometimes even remove the need for Brave Bird on some Pokemon. Forretress and Roserade are fine Pokemon to lay down hazards, Forrtress being able to set up all three. Forrtress is the prefered option here, because of its resistance to ice, which causes problems for Staraptor.
- A good spin blocker is also reccomended for this, if you want to run Hazards alongside Staraptor, which is reccomended. Rotom-C is a great option, being able to OHKO Swampert, which generally threatens the other Rotom forms
[COUNTERS]
- Rotom can easily counter this, resisting Staraptor's main STAB and being immune to its other.
- Gyarados can switch in and activate its Intimidate, forcing a switch
- Weavile can KO with Ice Shard
- Mamoswine can also Ice Shard to do a large amount of damage
- Scizor can take a hit and SD or simply Bullet Punch to KO
[NOTES]
- Agility Staraptor can be an incredible offensive threat, it requires a ton of good team support to truly shine.
[CALCULATIONS]
Some calcs I ran. Using adamant nature on these with Life Orb.
- Close Combat vs Max HP/Max Def Bold Blissey (714/130): 640-754
~ Can OHKO Blissey if it's running max HP and Def, ableit a low chance. I never see max HP Blisseys though.
- Close Combat vs Scarf Jirachi (342/236): 176-208
~ He can 2HKO Scarf Jirachi, which is pretty nice.
- Close Combat vs Wish/Calm Mind Jirachi (404/292): 143-169
~ He can still 2HKO Jirachi, even with investment into its defenses.
- Close Combat vs Tank Bronzong (252/80) 42.9% - 50.6%
~ A nice change of 2HKOing, if you have SR up, higher chance, but not guarenteed
- Return vs OU Tank Weezing (252/252): 43.1% - 50.6%
~ Pretty impressive, seeing as Weezing is an incredibly defensive Pokemon. Stealth Rock guarentees the 2HKO
- Return Vs Life Orb Starmie (which could pose a serious threat) (0/0): 97.7% - 115.6%
~ A nice clean OHKO, guarenteed with any form of damaging entry hazard.
-Return vs Physical Attacker Flygon (0/0): 90% - 106%
~Again, a potential OHKO. Stealth Rock will help your chances of getting the kill.
-Return vs standard Gliscor (252/4): 52.5% - 61.9%
~ Not even Gliscor can do very well against this. A guarenteed 2HKO, with or without Stealth Rock
-Return vs Tank Swampert (240/216): 44.4% - 52.6%
~Can 2HKO. With Spikes, you are guarenteed the 2HKO. Stealth Rock is less effective, but should still net the 2HKO.
-Return vs Bulky DD Gyarados (156/96): 43.8% - 51.9%
~Even if Staraptor gets to -1 attack from Gyarados's Intimidate, it can still tear into Gyarados with Return. If you have Stealth Rock up, you are guarenteed a 2HKO with Return.
-Brave Bird vs Bulky DD Gyarados (156/96): 51.4% - 60.8%
~Not worth trying this over Return, the recoil is a dangerous thing to deal with, and it's not worth it, since it will never OHKO, even with Stealth Rock.
More to come.
More to come